Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

This week is Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (November 7-14), which puts the spotlight on the engineers of the future and how more people can be attracted into the field. We met Emily Welch, a 17-year-old Derby student with her sights firmly fixed on mechanical engineering. 

At 17 Emily, like many her age, is trying to get her driving licence. Unlike many her age, the Derby Grammar School student already has her racing licence and spends most weekends at famous European race tracks like the Nurburgring and Silverstone, either behind the wheel or under the bonnet repairing historical cars.  

Emily has grown up around the race track because of the family business, Denis Welch Motorsport. 

Originally her grandfather’s, her father took over the business in 2007 which maintains, stores and transports historic cars like Austin Healeys and Jaguars, to races around Europe for clients. 

Emily’s father, Jeremy, is an experienced racing driver and will also race the cars when the clients need a co-driver. 

Emily is not just a passenger on these almost weekly European trips during the racing calendar, which runs for March to October, she helps to maintain and fix the cars – that’s when she’s not racing in her own series. She is also busy in the workshop at home, either maintaining the cars for clients, or building the engine and gearbox for her own MGB which she hopes to race. 

“I got my racing licence two years ago, so before I could get a road licence. I went to a test race track at Mallory Park. I had to drive around with the instructor to show I was a safe driver at speed. I’d never driven on the road before and I failed first time but I sat it again two weeks later and passed. 

“When I turned 17, I drove to school on my birthday and I’ve been having lessons to sit my test, I’m just waiting for a test date. It hasn’t been learning to drive as such but more taking it back to driving the right way for the road and going slower! Luckily my instructor also taught my dad so she knows the score!” 

At school, Emily spends hours in the design and technology lab where she works on projects for her A-levels in Design Technology, Maths and Physics. At the weekends, she makes sure her schoolwork is completed before she has to head to the racetracks so she can juggle what she admits are ‘intense’ A-levels, with her passion for racing. 

Emily chose to switch from her previous all-girls school to Derby Grammar School, which is in the process of transitioning from an all-boys school to co-educational, to do her A-levels because of its focus and strength in STEM subjects. 

“I knew there were not many girls at this school at the time but I chose it because it was more focused on maths and engineering than the all-girls schools I’d been looking at so it really worked for me,” said Emily. 

Emily says her subject choice and her passion for racing MGB cars are still viewed as traditionally ‘male’ choices by many but it is not something which has ever put her off. It is something she hopes will change. 

“I have grown up around the race tracks and realised there aren’t that many females,” said Emily. “In my race series there are a couple of girls but the majority are men. I hope more girls will come in to racing and in to engineering.” 

Emily has already used her mechanical skills to build and race the Formula 24 car at Derby Grammar School as part of the Formula 24Plus Greenpower competition. It tasks students to design, build and test a car which is entered into the race. 

Greenpower Education Trust is a UK based charity which gets young people enthusiastic about science and engineering by challenging them to design, build and race an electric car. 

Emily said: “I was the main one really wanting to do the competition and I dragged a couple of friends in. We spent probably too much time here in the DT lab working on the car and I also machined the rear axle of the car back at home in the workshop. It was great being part of that.” 

On the first day of the Formula 24 competition earlier this year, the senior team of Year 12 and 13 pupils at Derby Grammar School, including Emily, were crowned overall winners in their age category at the Blyton Park circuit in Lincolnshire. 

Now, Emily is using her DT A-level to improve the car further. 
 
“For my A Level project I’m designing a motor cooler for the Greenpower Car. The motor on the car gets too hot and it goes slower when that happens so I’m designing a system to cool the motor down so the car performs better,” she said. 
 
Emily is positive about the future of engineering in her field and the role she, and other women, can play in it. 
 
“I think girls, or boys in fact, who are interested in engineering need to keep pushing through. I always loved to read lots of ‘how to’ and ‘how things work’ books and magazines and just be curious about how things work,” said Emily. 
 
“I think for women in particular, there are a lot of opportunities to get into STEM careers because courses at university and businesses are looking for female engineers.” 
 
Her design and technology tutor, Paul Lakritz, agrees that the future is bright for female engineers. 
 
"The STEM sector is one that always looks for the very best technical and scientific talent irrespective of gender,” said Mr Lakritz, who heads up the Design and Technology department. “It is clear there is a national need for engineers and the sector is one where young people can have varied careers that will evolve into experiences that are yet to be fully understood.  The advances in technologies and their applications provide lifelong career opportunities that are exciting and rewarding.” 
 
Derby Grammar School currently is open to applications for its Sixth Form STEM Scholarship, giving a reduction in the school fees. The scholarship is award to students who can demonstrate excellence in Design and Technology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science and/or Maths.  For more information about STEM opportunities at Derby Grammar School, email [email protected]. 

Credit: Kirsty Green, Penguin PR